This is a genuine hip-hop oddity. Instrumental albums are usually the domain of DJs and producers with planned remix uses in mind. Typically, the original beats are made for an emcee or three and, without vocals, come off hollow and noticeably missing a key ingredient. In this rare case, however, the recipe for the tracks produced for 2004's Corrupt Data and 2005's Valley Of The Shadow is pretty damn tasty on its own. Adding the over-inflated, often nonsensical, ultimately pointless spits of MCs Non, Breaf, and Dream is like drowning mashed potatoes and gravy in expired ketchup. With the distracting, detracting words thankfully out of the way, the listener is able to truly enjoy the rich, glitchy, moody electronic hip-hop beats the above MCs developed in conjunction with Djuk-Up-Bitch programmers Funckarama. They're the kind of beats Prefuse 73 or Machine Drum would be making if they were addicted to the sounds of gangsta rap. With lyrics, "Pevus" is righteously annoying ("Yo, fuck a bitch/ I yanked a bitch/ Then I spank a bitch/ Then I done shanked a bitch"), but without them, it's a wonderfully warped, atmospheric downtempo track. The undoubted success of this release should hopefully convince Non, Breaf, and Dream to light their mics on fire and never speak of them again. They have far greater talents elsewhere. If not, see you at the next instrumental.
Corrupt Data:
1. Cdc
2. Figure Of Speech
3. Power Divine
4. American Dreams
5. Nite
6. Medic
7. Fukwit 2
8. Roar
9. Sick Of This Shit
10. Trenches
11. That Ain't Where It's @
12. Shout
13. Sown Terror
Valley Of The Shadow:
1. 2020
2. Massive
3. Pevic
4. Do What I Want To
5. Radically Necessary
6. Solsa
7. Deander
8. Visions
9. Y
10. Decisions
11. My Geez
12. Nattie
13. Rulez Of Engagement
More about: Shadow Huntaz
